Doing the Dishes

“Wow! With the $50.00 you gave me, this makes $75.00!”

Say what you will about Sally, she can add.

Maybe a bit of background . . .

It was Sally’s birthday.

Sixteen.

For one month of the year, we are the same age. Irish twins, people call us.

Whatever that means.

I think it has something to do with annoying because for that one month, Sally never lets up that we are the same age.

Sigh.

On this particular day, she was clutching the crisp new fifty-dollar bill that Cousin Ruth had given her.

In a bright, pink ‘puppy-wishing-you-a-yappy-birthday’ card.

Apparently, the girl was rich.

What was more important, she had enough funds for the new video game she had been begging mom for for the past five months.

Remember the sliding-off-the-roof virtual reality debacle of July?

Yeah, that game.

Back to Sally . . .

“I’m going shopping!” She disappeared into the hall.

Now normally, I would just let her go. It is Sally and one has to be cautious in her presence. But, for some reason, I followed her.

She dashed down the stairs and into the kitchen.

There is a large hutch in our kitchen. Old. Wooden. Belonged to some ancestor.

And atop this hutch sits Sally’s treasure box. Where she keeps all her valuables.

Which, mostly were only valuable to her.

It was here that I found her.

Clinging to the base as she scaled the side.

“Sally! Use a chair!”

My plea fell on deaf ears.

“Takes too long!” Sally grunted as she hitched herself higher. “I’m almost there!”

True. Her hand was within touching distance of her treasure chest.

It was also within touching distance of something else entirely.

Our sleeping cats.

Oh yeah. We got two cats. Remind me to tell you about that. Another red-letter day in our household.

Back to my story . . .

And Mom’s antique serving platter. The one that matched the dinner set bequeathed her by a well-meaning, but sadly ignorant grandmother.

I know you can see this just as clearly as I can, but allow me to reiterate: Tall hutch. Climbing girl. Sleeping cats.

Dinner platter.

All within the same sphere.

Oy.

Things happened pretty fast.

“Got it!” Sally cried, just as she lost her tenuous grip on the edge of the hutch. And her reaching fingers grabbed the tail of one of the cats as she felt herself going.

Picture it.

Girl falling.

Cat reacting.

Things not conducive to dropping raining down in a cascade.

And Mom arriving in her patented what-did-I-just-miss technique.

She gaped at the mess.

And the girl sitting in the midst of it.

At first, she failed to realize the significance of what she was seeing. “It looks as though Godzilla has just been through here!” she said. Then she saw the platter. The formerly pristine in-one-piece platter.

No longer pristine.

Or in one piece.

I know you’ve heard about how angry hornets can get.

Well, they learned from Mom.

Her face got red. Her mouth opened.

Silently, Sally handed her the fifty-dollar bill. And her treasure box.

Mom just stared at the money in her hand. Then her eyes narrowed. “Let’s go shopping!” she said unexpectedly.

Both Sally and I stared at her.

“What are we buying?” I asked. "Another platter?"

Mom shook her head, her eyes still on Sally. “Nope. Something we could really use. Chains.”

All righty then.

 Each month, 
x

Each month, Karen of Baking in a Tornado issues a challenge--and a few words--to each of her followers/friends.
This month, my words: chains ~ sleeping cats ~ Godzilla ~ hornet ~ $75
came via Karen from my friend at Cognitive Script!

Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

Baking In A Tornado

theblogging911.com/blog

Cognitive Script 

Southern Belle Charm  

The Bergham Chronicles     

The Crazy Mama Llama

Part-time Working Hockey Mom  

Climaxed

Follow Me Home